Fruit juice, honey, muesli bars on long no-no list
A muesli bar, glass of fruit juice and a honey sandwich – a healthy lunch, right?
Not according to an Otago University, Christchurch, study that puts them on a list of 49 foods to avoid.
The list, drawn up by dieticians and clinical psychologists, labels the 49 items as non-essential, energy-dense and nutritionally deficient foods.
Anything containing alcohol, saturated fat, added sugar, a large amount of energy relative to their essential nutrient value or that is prepared using a high-fat cooking method makes the list.
It suggests a healthier replacement for some items, or none at all for others. Foods for which there is no easy lowenergy replacement include icecream, cakes, chocolate, doughnuts, jam, honey, pies and pastries.
The list, compiled using resources from the National Heart Foundation, Canterbury District Health Board and Diabetes New Zealand, suggest the 49 foods undermine attempts at weight loss, while contributing little in terms of nutrients.
Christchurch research fellow and dietician Jane Elmslie, who led the study, admitted many people might be surprised to see items such as muesli bars on the list, because they were often marketed as healthy. But they were a processed food high in fat and sugar, she said.
Christchurch public health nutritionist Bronwen King said fruit juice belonged on the list as it was ‘‘a sugary drink not much different from soft drinks’’.
‘‘People always think because it’s from fruit it’s somehow different and somehow healthy.
‘‘It has a few nutrients that make it better than something like a soft drink but it’s still a very sugary drink and it gives a lot of kilojoules in a very easy-to-consume format.’’
The list was useful, King said, as it raised the issue of overweight people possibly avoiding some foods. ‘‘A lot of these foods are foods that some people believe are addictive, and therefore the best method for some people is total elimination of them. It’s easier to have none than have some because when you have some you want more.’’
Study co-author Ria Schroder said about two-thirds of participants in the two-year project had experienced significant weight loss since eliminating or cutting back those foods.
‘‘Simply avoiding [them] is unlikely to be an effective weight reduction strategy on its own. But knowing which foods to make individual rules for can help people think more carefully whether what they eat is nutritious and necessary, or just random recreational grazing.’’
NZ Food and Grocery Council chief executive Katherine Rich said although the list was well-intentioned, it was unhelpful for the wider population. ‘‘The report demonises individual foods without putting them into the context of a balanced diet.’’
No processed food manufacturers recommend they be consumed 100 per cent of the time – moderation was always key, she said. ‘‘If you try and put a list out of evil foods, it’s very hard for people to slavishly maintain adherence.’’